Girl Scout Mallika loves being on her school’s robotics
team, but admits she’s had difficulties being one of the few females in the
group. Who better to boost her up and encourage her dreams of an exciting future
in tech than Blandine Antoine, a whip-smart and mega-successful former Girl
Guide who serves as iRobot’s Senior Manager of Corporate Development. “Science
is great for everybody—girls included,” she told Mallika, “as long as you have
a curious mind and you’re not afraid of exploring it in environments that are
not necessarily built for females, but that are rarely antagonistic to women.”
Even more exciting? Blandine’s innovative company, which
makes robots that people can use in their everyday lives, actively wants more
girls and women to join their ranks. “We want females to join because we know
having a more diverse workforce is good for everybody,” she said. “It
encourages creativity, gives you more ideas, and different ways of looking at
problems. I could go on forever!” For even more on how Blandine has made it big
in the tech world, watch the whole interview here!
In the male-dominated tech world, it’s a woman—specifically
Girl Scout alumna Olivia Sterns—that our country depends on to learn about the
latest in computing, gadgets, and technological innovations. As NBC Tech
Correspondent, Olivia has become the
authority when it comes to translating computer code into language even your
grandfather could understand, and she’s eager to share her passions and inspire
today’s girls to follow their dreams.
Mallika had the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Olivia,
and learn her secrets for success—but we don’t want the wisdom to end there!
Check out Mallika and Olivia’s inspiring conversation here and share it with
the girls in your life. When you commit to saying, “I want to be an expert in
this field,” as Olivia suggests, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish!
Buzz Baldwin, Co-Founder of 3D Printlife, an
environmentally-conscious 3D printing company, was also eager to chat with Girl
Scouts at CES, and ended up having a super interesting conversation with Girl
Scout Athena about the many ways 3D printing can be used in every industry from
bath and body products to aerospace. “Obviously men and women are equal,” Buzz
said, “but girls I think sometimes approach problems differently than men do—I
think they see things in a way we don’t. So it’s really important that girls
are involved in science and technology going forward.” Get more inspiration and
from Buzz by checking out Athena’s awesome interview.
Being a Girl Scout helped teach Kate Drane learn that she
had the capacity to learn and do anything she set her mind to. Today, as the
Senior Director of Outreach for Technology and Hardware at Indiegogo, she helps
make bold, innovative tech ideas come to life. Girl Scout Lila got a chance to
speak with her and learn more about that process.
For further insights into the tech world, check out more videos here!